Improvement in brick-machines



` Brick-Machines. N0. 138,251, Patented Aprril29, 18473.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IIoToHKISS AND PHILIP N. woLISToN, oE SPRINGFIELD, oIIIo.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRICK-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,25i, dated April :29, 1873; application ed November 6, 1872.

To all whom it may concern: f

Beit known that we, JAMES HoTerIKIss and PHILIP N. WoLIsToN, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented an Improved Brick and Tile Machine; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this specification-- Figure 1 being a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section in a plane indicated by the line a: fr, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top view of the machine.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Our improved machine is organized for producing a continuous web of clay, from which the bricks are cut by wires. Special features of improvement in this organization are, first, the formation and delivery of the continuous web of clay vertically between the formingdies 5 second, cutting off a block of the protruded web sufficient for several bricks by a wire moving horizontally or laterally across the web; and, third, cutting the said block of clay into bricks by forcing it laterally or horizontally through a set of wires stretched in a' stationary frame; all substantially as herein specified.

The machine is intended to be located by the side of a pug-mill, (not represented in the drawin g,)from whichthetempered clayistransferred to the press or die boXAof the machine through an aperture, a, in the side thereof, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. The clay, however, may be introduced in any other suitable way. The plunger or piston B, which compresses the clay in the press-box, receives a vertical reciprocatingmovement by means of a revolving crank or crank-wheel, C, with which the plunger is connected by a connecting-rod, b, and crank-pin c. The crank-wheel shaft may receive its motion from the shaft of the pugmill by suitable gearing or in any convenient way. The crank-pin c is adjustable to different distances from the center of the crankwheel .by a slot, d, Fig. 1, and adjusting-nut or equivalent means, so that the stroke of the plunger may be increased or diminished in extent in order to regulate theV number of bricks made at each stroke, according to the quantity of clay prepared in the pug-mill and delivered to thepress-box. The continuous web ot' clay is formed between the roller-dies D at the bottom of the press-box and -delivered vertically or directly downward therefrom, so that the weight of the clay itself assists greatly in the forma-tion thereof, and the least expenditure of power is required therefor. Directly under the dies is a receiving frame, platform, or carriage, E, which has a vertical sliding movement in suitable ways underneath the dies down to a position level with a roller carriage-way, G, as shown in Fig. 1, the full lines showing the lowest position of the frame, and the dotted lines showing a raised position thereof in the said figure. The frame is mounted on the end of an arm or lever, Hpivoted to the frame-work of the machine, the other end of which lever has a counter-weight, I, whereby the movements of the'frame E are rendered easy. There are friction-rollers j' in the top of the frame E, on which a receiving-board, g, (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) is placed, eachtime before the frameis raised forthe reception of the descend ing web of clay. Then, as the web is more and more protruded, its lower end rests on the board g, and graduallydepresses it with the frame until the latter reaches a position level with the carriage-way G. The counter-weight I presses the frame E upward with sufficient force to hold the web of clay in shape and keep it from cracking. As soon as the downward stroke ofthe plunger is finished and the frame E has been depressed to its lowest position a wire, L, in a movable frame close beneath the dies D is moved laterally across the web of clay, thereby severing the portion below from that above it, the part cut off being of just sufdcient depth to make a given number of bricks. At one side of the frame E is a stationary frame, M, of horizontal cutting-wires,

oi'ered to the lateral movement of the clay. After the severing of the clay into bricks the board g on which they rest is carried off to the place for drying the bricks, so that the bricks are not handled with the hands, and they may be left on the boardto dry. There is a lever, l?, connected with the balance-lever H of the frame E for raising or lowering the said frame by hand when necessary. A perforated rotating sanding cylinder or sieve, R, is placed over each roller-die D, (only one cylinder being shown in the drawing,) for sanding the dies as they revolve, and consequently sanding the bricks-a great advantage, particularly for bricks made from some kinds of clay, which otherwise crackin drying. The journals of each perforated cylinder or sieve turn in upright slotted bearings l; and these cylinders rest on intermediate revolving rollers m,'l"ig. 2, whose journals also turn in the same or similar slotted bearings, and which, being on the roller dies, have a revolving movement imparted to them thereby, and, in turn, transmit it to the sanding-cylinders.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Illhe combination and arrangement of the.

press-box A, dies D, and wire L, so as to form and deliver a section of the web of clay vertically or nearly vertically downward, for the purpose herein specified.

2. The counter-weighted frame or carriage E, for receiving the web of clay, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

3. The arrangement and combination of the vertically-moving roller-frame or carriage, E, receiving-board g, plunger N, roller carriageway G, and the stationary wire-frame M, substantially as and for the purpose herein speciied.

Specification signed by us this 20th day of September, 1872.

JAMES HOTCHKISS. PHILIP N. VVOLISTON. Witnesses:

REUBEN MILLER, W. S. GRIM. 

